The Baltimore Orioles have a lot of young hitters on their roster. This group will scare pitchers for years to come as they all develop well and will be real performers at the major league level.
Among these young players is outfielder Colton Cowser.
He made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 2023 and retained his rookie eligibility for that season. He has remained in Baltimore all year and has performed consistently well.
At The Athletic, former MLB front office staffer Jim Bowden compiled his top 10 rookies in the American League. The Orioles’ rising star came in at No. 2 because of his extra-base potential at the plate and his excellent work in the field.
“Colton Cowser leads the AL rookies group at the outfield position, largely due to his power and defense. He has hit 19 home runs and 19 doubles while scoring 62 runs and 57 RBIs. Defensively, he ranks in the 96th percentile in fielding run value and in the 97th percentile in outs above average (range) and arm strength. His slash line (.247/.323/.448) isn’t stellar, but his power and defense have put him in position to potentially win this award,” Bowden wrote.
The only player currently ranked ahead of Cowser is New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil. The shooting star had some difficult phases during the season, but his dominance far outweighed the negatives.
These two are probably the most promising candidates for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
Cowser posted a WAR of 2.3 and an OPS of +121, both of which are very strong numbers.
While many voters will look at batting stats, and Cowser has plenty of those, it’s his work with the glove that sets him apart from other rookies. Given the changes in Camden Yards’ dimensions, they essentially need three players with the reach of a center fielder.
The standout player offers just that, playing the majority of his innings in the huge left field position. He has also played center and right field, giving Brandon Hyde some versatility.
Even if he doesn’t win the AL ROY, he will be an important part of the team’s future plans.
If Cedric Mullins becomes available in the offseason (which was the case before the MLB transfer deadline), Cowser could take on the everyday role in center field.
